BMW GROUP - THE NEXT 100 YEARS

The BMW Group is celebrating its centenary under the motto “THE NEXT 100 YEARS”. Future orientation and adaptability have always defined the BMW Group’s identity as a company.

The BMW Group is celebrating its centenary under the motto “THE NEXT 100 YEARS”. Future orientation and adaptability have always defined the BMW Group’s identity as a company. Ever since it was founded in 1916, the BMW Group has played an important role in shaping the future of mobility. It has done so by constantly reinventing itself, evolving from an aircraft engine manufacturer to a motorcycle producer and then a carmaker. Today the BMW Group encompasses the BMW, MINI, BMW Motorrad and Rolls-Royce brands, as well as a large number of mobility services and BMW Financial Services.

Throughout its history the company has placed its sights firmly on the future and this has become embedded in the BMW Group’s DNA. So for the Centenary it is natural that the Group is focusing primarily on looking to the future and sharing its vision of personal mobility two or three decades from now.

It is both exciting and challenging to imagine how we will live and move around in the future: how will society, the economy, living conditions – and therefore mobility – change? What possibilities will new technologies open up? How will digitalisation and connectivity affect our automotive needs?

To answer these questions, the BMW Group has formulated six central hypotheses for individual mobility in the coming decades, based on key megatrends and future projections.

Mobility is becoming versatile:

New forms of mobility will open up countless possibilities for people to get where they want to go. The BMW Group aims to play a part in shaping these future forms of mobility.

Connectivity is becoming second nature:

In the future, everything will be connected. The BMW Group firmly believes that digitalisation and digital intelligence are meant to serve people. That is the only way they will permanently enhance our quality of life.

Mobility is becoming tailor-made:

Mobility will be increasingly flexible and tailored to individual needs. In the future, customised mobility will automatically ensure that people are able to use the best means of transport and take their preferred route to their destination. The BMW Group will offer carefully coordinated products and services to achieve this.

Technology is becoming human:

Technologies are getting smarter. The BMW Group believes that innovations are only beneficial to humans if they are simple and user-friendly. In its vision, technologies must be able to learn from and adapt to people, so that technology seems less technical and more human and familiar.

Energy is becoming emission-free:

In the future, energy will increasingly come from renewable sources. The BMW Group has a clear vision of environmentally-compatible vehicles built using renewable energies and recycled without generating emissions. It is working towards becoming a wholly sustainable company.

Responsibility is becoming diverse:

In the future, it will become even more important for global companies like the BMW Group to take responsibility for the environment, but also for the people directly or indirectly in its sphere of activity. One aspect – concerning both the company’s international workforce of more than 100 different nationalities and people connected with its various locations – is to promote intercultural exchange and improve lives. The BMW Group already supports more than 200 environmental and social projects in over 42 countries engaging in various projects involving its associates and local communities to maximize its impact in the future.

These six focus areas comprise the BMW Group’s view of the future. They also form the basis and inspiration for the design of the Vision Vehicles the company is unveiling to the public to mark its centenary.

Each BMW Group brand interprets the mobility of the future in a way that reflects its own particular values: